With an abundant number of Toronto Maple Leafs players listed on various trade boards across the media, many were expecting big-time action by the Maple Leafs at the trade deadline as they looked to salvage a lost season. However, only three Leafs would end up being dealt, with Nicolas Roy going to the Colorado Avalanche, Scott Laughton heading to the Los Angeles Kings and Bobby McMann being picked up by the Seattle Kraken.
But Toronto actually had a few more precious assets that could have been moved for potential solid returns. Did the Leafs fail to capitalize on what should have been a seller’s market? Here, we will take a look at 3 Maple Leafs players that surprisingly remained with the team after surviving the trade deadline.
3 Maple Leafs who surprisingly survived the trade deadline
D Simon Benoit
With defensemen usually at a premium come playoff time, it was a bit surprising that someone like Simon Benoit didn’t draw more interest at the trade deadline. After all, with all of the qualities of a typical stay-at-home defender, Benoit would slot in seamlessly for any contender looking to beef up their bottom-four pairing. The young 27-year-old has the size (six foot four and 210 pounds), hits (149 in total) and blocks shots (86 in total) while clearing bodies in the front of his net for the goaltender.
Yes, he has struggled a bit this season with the Leafs, but hasn’t most Leafs players struggled along with it as well? In addition, with just an annual $1.35 million AAV cap hit and no no-movement clauses, Benoit would have provided some massive value at a very economical cost for any team. The consolation part for the Leafs is the fact that he will be back with the team next season at that very minimal cost in helping with their retool.
D Brandon Carlo
The fact that Brandon Carlo wasn’t moved by the Maple Leafs was a little more shocking than Benoit. Sure, Carlo has a much bigger cap hit at $4.1 million per season along with an eight-team no-trade clause this year. But who wouldn’t have wanted a former top-four defensive stalwart to help anchor the defense in a Stanley Cup run. Especially having previously shown to play a significant role in helping the Boston Bruins to six consecutive playoffs appearances between 2019 to 2024.
In addition, Carlo has 85 postseason games under his belt, bringing with him massive playoff experience to any contending team. However, with the Maple Leafs losing huge leverage as a result of other NHL defenders being dealt prior to the trade deadline, they were unable to unload the 29-year-old defender and missing out on a potential big haul.
D Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Finally, failing to capitalize on a revitalized season for Oliver Ekman-Larsson was the biggest misstep by Leafs management at the trade deadline. After all, Ekman-Larsson had been slowly regressing into his game in recent years before his sudden surge this season with Toronto. In 61 games this year, the 34-year-old defenseman recorded eight goals and 27 assists for 35 points while playing close to 21 minutes a night. In fact, he is on pace for his best season in over eight years.
As the Maple Leafs defender that perhaps drew the most interest in trade talks, Toronto sheepishly imposed a steep asking price for the aging veteran, asking for a first-round and second-round draft pick AND a prospect as the return. As a result, it likely turned away many suitors, including the Edmonton Oilers who were thought to be among the frontrunners for his services before they diverted to secondary options. In doing so, instead of reaping the benefits of a renaissance season by Ekman-Larsson in which he may not be able to repeat again, the Leafs missed out on a potential solid and possibly big return that could have played a huge role in their retooling in the coming years.